By Lauren Knights, Juicy Ecumenism.
Last Sunday, as the choir intoned the Kyrie eleison (“Lord have mercy”) and the congregation bowed low, I was struck again by how beautiful worship is. It is not entertainment, not a performance, but an offering rooted in the sacrifice of time, attention, and self. That’s what Scripture has always meant by worship. And it is precisely this sacrificial character that’s being lost in much of the modern church, where worship increasingly resembles a concert.
Consider the Vatican’s recent Grace for the World concert that took place on September 13th, 2025. Officially, it was billed as a cultural celebration of fraternity and peace. Pharrell Williams, who co‑directed the event, spoke about the constrictions of different religions and the need to seek wisdom from other traditions. His words echoed the concert’s theme of universal fraternity, but also revealed how the message was framed in terms of inclusivity and interreligious wisdom—a framing that departs from Catholic teaching, which affirms dialogue with other religions while insisting that the fullness of truth is found in Christ alone (Nostra Aetate). The choice of venue made the message even more complicated. St. Peter’s Square is not and has never been a neutral space. For Catholics, it has long functioned as an extension of St. Peter’s Basilica, consecrated ground where papal Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and blessings to the city and the world are offered. Though it is not the space ordinarily used for liturgical rites like the Mass, the square has always carried a tone of reverence that echoes through its colonnades. It’s because of this that many Protestant viewers, hearing the choirs and gospel-style repertoire, concluded with excitement that “worship was happening at the Vatican.” Showing that when entertainment is staged in a space already sanctified by worship, the line between performance and ceremony is blurred, and the very definition of worship itself begins to shift.